by Barbara Roden
Donations continue to arrive, and more fundraising events are being planned, to assist residents of Cache Creek who suffered residential and property damage in the May 23 flood.
BlackPress4Good and the United Way have been collecting donations, with the two campaigns raising a total of more than $120,000 so far. Both campaigns can be accessed through the Villages’s website (www.cachecreekvillage.com). However, when it comes time to decide how the FundRazr campaign, administered by the Village, is accessed and disbursed, politicians won’t be involved, says Cache Creek Councillor Wyatt McMurray.
“It’s important that the process is transparent and fair. When politicians are around that isn’t always the case,” said McMurray. “It removes a level of potential conflict, perceived or otherwise.”
McMurray said that a committee will be formed in mid- to late-July, and will be made up of representatives from groups such as UNited Way, the Lions, and the Cache Creek Volunteer Fire Department, as well as residents. Once the committee is struck, it will be up to the group to decide who can access the funds, when and how requests can be made, and how the money will be disbursed.
In the meantime, fundraising events continue throughout various area communities in aid of flood relief. “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast,” wrote playwright and poet William Congreve, and music remains a feature of many of these events. Concerts in Ashcroft and 100 Mile House resulted in more than $8,000 in donations, and two more concerts are scheduled in Cache Creek on July 3 and 4. On Friday July 3 a dinner, auction, and silent auction will start at 5pm in the Cache Creek Community Hall, and will feature tribute bands honouring ABBA and Fleetwood Mac. A concert and dance on Saturday July 4 features tribute bands with the music of AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Guns and Roses. The event starts at 7pm in the Hall.
“These are some of the most sought-after tribute bands in Canada,” said McMurray. “The bands are very busy right now with festivals, and usually we couldn’t afford to get them in our area, but they wanted to come and help and be part of it. Sponsors are paying for their travel and the bands have really cut their usual fees.” McMurray added that 100 per cent of the proceeds of both concerts will go to flood relief, and said that there will be a maximum of 250 tickets for each event. “We’ve just finalized the deals,” he said, with details about price and availability still to be worked out.
The upcoming shows are just part of the ongoing effort to raise funds to assist residents of Cache Creek. An online auction that closed on Monday raised well over $10,000, and on Friday June 19 a dinner and auction fundraiser is being held at the Black Bull Pub in Logan Lake. Five dollars from every dinner ticket sold, as well as all the money raised by the auction, will be donated to Cache Creek Flood Relief. The doors open at 5, and dinner starts at 6.